Part 3: Connections to Museum Resources

The companion teacher guide for the Museum's Timeline of the American Revolution features a variety of activities of different lengths to help students learn about the Revolutionary era and the ongoing Revolution using historical objects, documents, and timelines. 

To download PDFs and accompanying materials for the lesson plans below, visit our Mini Lesson Plans page.

OBJECT OBSERVATION: PURPOSE ON A POWDER HORN? 
Many people fought in the Revolutionary War or found other ways to support the Revolutionary cause, for a variety of reasons. One of the ways historians learn about people during the Revolutionary era is by closely examining primary sources they created. This often includes documents like letters and journals, as well as objects like William Waller’s Powder Horn in the Museum’s collection. This lesson introduces students to the skills of object analysis and interpretation while asking them to consider one man’s motivation for supporting the Revolutionary cause.

HISTORICAL ANALYSIS: OBJECTS TELL STORIES
Museum curators are responsible for choosing historical objects to display that help them tell stories about people and events from long ago. They conduct careful observations and analysis of these objects to learn more about them and to help others understand them through contemporary connections. This lesson introduces students to the skills of object observation and analysis while considering how historical objects tell stories about people and events from the past.

PEOPLE OF THE REVOLUTION
British North America contained people with many cultures, from many places, who spoke different languages, and with varying systems of belief. To best understand the American Revolution, historians must try to learn as much as possible about all the peoples of British North America, as well as others who participated in the War. One way that they do this is by studying objects and documents from the era. This lesson introduces students to some of the diverse peoples living in British North America as the Revolution unfolded. Students will see how this diversity — categorized in many different ways — impacted the ideals and/or experiences of all those who were involved

DISSECTING THE DECLARATION
The Declaration of Independence is commonly remembered for its philosophical arguments on the basic rights of men, but it also includes a list of grievances that led Revolutionaries to separate from Great Britain. These grievances may not encompass all of the reasons the colonies broke from Great Britain, but examining them, and the events to which they correlate, helps us gain a better understanding of the context in which independence was approved and then declared. This lesson introduces students to significant causes of the American Revolution as outlined by the Declaration of Independence. 

REVOLUTION AROUND THE WORLD
Have your students choose a country featured in the Revolution Around the World short essay series on the Museum’s website. This resource explores the impact of the American Revolution on nations around the world and the influence of people from other countries on the American Revolution. Have students select a featured nation and then answer the following questions in a PowerPoint, Prezi, poster, Canva, written report, or other creative medium:

• What was happening in your selected country during the Revolutionary era (1763-1788)?
• Did this nation become involved in the Revolutionary War? Why or why not?
• What was the impact of the American Revolution on this country?

View the Museum’s Revolution Around the World resource.